The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN Health Advisory notifying doctors and public health departments about the circulation of the parechovirus (PeV) since May. They urge clinicians to consider the diagnosis of this virus for babies presenting unexplained fever, seizures, and sepsis-like symptoms.
CDC has received multiple reports of newborn and young infants getting infected by the virus associated with severe disease. They have not released specific states where infections were recorded and have not discussed any deaths related to the disease.
Parechovirus Strains
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Rick Malley from Boston Children's Hospital told USA Today that parechoviruses are common childhood pathogens similar to enteroviruses. Most children could get the virus even before they turn 5 years old but may not know about it because it was mild or they are asymptomatic.
There are four types of PeV in which PeV-A is known to cause human diseases. It also has multiple strains in which the PeV-A3 strain is most commonly associated with severe illness in newborns and immunocompromised individuals.
Although not new in the US, Dr. Malley said that surveillance was limited until a few years ago and the cause of its increasing prevalence in recent years remains a mystery.
He added that PeV usually causes diseases during summer and fall. However, it is unusual that the CDC is reporting them from a few months back, suggesting that the natural epidemiology of PeV could have changed due to COVID-19.
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How is PeV Transmitted?
Although most people with parechovirus do not have symptoms, others could get mild diarrhea, fever, and cold or flu-like symptoms. According to Health Direct, babies and young children can become very unwell. More so, PeV can rarely cause sepsis, blood infection or meningitis, or encephalitis.
Parents should look out for these symptoms in their babies or children who might be exposed to infected people. PeV can be transmitted through their breath via sneezing or coughing, saliva, and feces. They can also catch the virus from objects and surfaces where it is present, such as cutlery, plates, and toilets.
The CDC said infected people could transmit the virus regardless of whether symptomatic or asymptomatic by just coming into contact with them and surfaces. Infected people can be contagious from one to 21 days through the respiratory tract and up until six months through the gastrointestinal tract.
Dr. Malley noted that the PeV infection is a spectrum, as the public learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some may recover quickly, while others could have a hard time getting better and may get sick for three to five days. Overall, he describes it as a "very short-lived, self-resolving infection," and deaths from PeV are very rare.
What Can Parents Do?
The CDC health alert specified that babies under three months, especially newborns, are more likely to experience severe illness due to PeV as they have not developed immunity to the virus that spreads through contaminated air and surfaces.
Parents should practice good hygiene to prevent parechovirus infection. People who are sick or unwell due to colds, flu-like illnesses, and others should stay away from babies to avoid endangering them. For now, there are no specific treatments and vaccines available against PeV.
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